The Right to Education as Property Freedom

Sor Juana's insistence on her right to education, despite gender restrictions, reveals education as fundamental to libertarian freedom. Without knowledge, individuals cannot understand contracts, defend their property, or recognize violations of their rights. Education is not merely self-improvement; it is the epistemic foundation of liberty itself. Sor Juana's vast library and her refusal to accept ignorance as women's proper station assert that denying education is a form of property deprivation—theft of intellectual capacity and agency. In libertarian justice, the freedom to acquire knowledge protects the capacity to acquire and manage property responsibly. Sor Juana's model demonstrates that restrictions on women's learning were not neutral custom but active suppression of their ability to own, inherit, and defend property through informed consent and rational judgment.